Bread is a main stay in the American diet. Some religions deem it blessed, and most restaurants keep it supplied when we dine out, while most of us serve it with every meal. Current scientific analysis shows that as Americans we consume an average of 53 lbs. of bread a year. Bread provides about 20 percent of the entire food calories worldwide. Bread can be a nourishing part of our regimen, when eaten in moderation. Its been proven that eliminating bread from our diet will noticeably heighten our energy levels over a period of time. White breads have little fiber, and it sluggishly travel’s through our intestines. It takes a lot of energy for our bodies to break down the dense gum like material that the bread converts into. Cutting out bread completely will give our digestive system the break it needs. Those of us who ingest a lot of bread may be inclined to have digestion concerns. Gluten, commonly, is tough on our digestive systems and can cause distending, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Some among us may not think that they’re allergic to gluten, may have gluten sensitivities that make routine digestion challenging.

If our digestive system isn’t performing accurately, we can have a difficult time dropping weight or even acquire specific diseases due to the build up of contaminants in our systems. We don’t have the enzymes to break gluten down. Studies dictate that we can’t properly digest gluten. The composites that construct gluten, gliadin and glutenin, are immunogenic anti-nutrients that assault our body as we ingest it. This can cause us to feel fatigued, faint and awkward, even after a well-balanced meal. It’s believed that sidestepping bread will seriously ease cravings for snacking throughout the day. Eating immense amounts of white bread can actually initiate the compulsion spark in our brain. White bread has a large concentration of simple sugars that sway our blood sugar levels. The refined carbohydrate located in white bread doesn’t actually have the nutrient dense wheat bran and germ, making it easygoing for our body to digest. Instead, it has a starchy endosperm that quickly gets converted into glucose, causing an escalation in our blood sugar levels. And since rapid spikes in our blood sugar leads to rapid drops, eating white bread makes us more prone to get hungry after a meal and desire more nutrient fiber free carbohydrates. Most of us don’t even recognize how much white bread can actually obstruct our weight loss strategies.

One of the most common settings that cause gluten-based gastric ache is wheat allergy, wheat sensitivity and coeliac disease, however numerous other digestive situations can cause increased sensitivity to the wheat grain also. Removing wheat and other fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (a.k.a. FODMAPs) can also mend the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The grain is also known to cause exhausting enduring swelling and joint discomfort. Regardless of being present in a vast quantity of food products, wheat is especially hard to digest. When it comes to losing weight regrettably, the bulk of us don’t know that bread is causing us to lug around a sizable amount of water weight. Water retention isn’t real fat, but it does give a bloated and overweight appearance. Bread holds water because it’s high in refined carbohydrates, which makes our bodies stockpile water weight. It’s assessed that every gram of carbohydrates we eat binds up 3 to 4 grams of water.

Many of us don’t recognize that the day-to-day digestive symptoms we feel may be caused by gluten heavy meals. Switching white bread with wheat bread is a suitable turn, however it’s also a notable thought to eliminate bread from a few meals altogether. Nonetheless, it’s imperative for us to consider that grains offer critical vitamins and minerals that we shouldn’t absolutely exclude from our diet. After more than 40 years in the food service industry, at Gourmet Services Inc. we know that the key for most of us is to survey what kinds of carbohydrates we eat. Moderate or purge white breads and pastas made with processed, refined wheat flours, as well as crackers and cookies made with processed flours and sugars. Interchange those carbs with sensible, hearty alternatives like the carbohydrates discovered in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, like brown rice and whole-grain breads and pastas. These contain the fiber and essential nutrients we all need to support a healthy physical and mental being.

Breakfast is a nutritious way to start out our day. Eating breakfast replenishes our body, increases our mood, improves our concentration, helps us maintain a healthy weight, and is the groundwork of a healthy diet. Eating a healthy breakfast can be quick and easy, and can provide us with benefits that last the entire day. Some of us are under the fallacy that missing breakfast will help us lose weight. However, doing this may actually cause us to snack throughout the day, and eat more at our next meal, and negatively impact our mood. Breakfast encourages our metabolism, it also curbs our hunger, prevents binge eating later in the day, and steadies our blood sugar. Also, eating a fiber-rich breakfast helps us fill up and feel full longer so we don’t consume additional calories throughout the day. Breakfast provides our body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast. Without breakfast we’re essentially operating on empty. When we skip breakfast the memo we’re sending our body is that it needs to conserve rather than burn any incoming calories. A healthy and nutritious breakfast is the best way to start the day. Eating breakfast improves our thinking ability, keeps us focused, and helps prevent obesity. Our morning meal is the fuel that keeps us running throughout the day.

Our bodies use a simple sugar called glucose for fuel. Glucose is our main energy source; it fuels our brain and our body. Eating breakfast provides our body with the glucose we need to function accurately and combat exhaustion. Glucose is warehoused in our liver and is discharged as needed. When our glucose stores are exhausted, usually after a night of rest, this source of rapid energy isn’t easily accessible. The outcome is the stir of hunger, diminished concentration and lethargy, which can make working and learning an arduous task. Breakfast reinstates our glucose levels, an essential carbohydrate that is needed for our brain to function. Studies have shown eating breakfast can progress memory and concentration planes and it can also make us better-off as it can improve mood and lower stress levels. The foods we consume are innately linked to our dispositions, and while many of us may not be morning people, eating breakfast will certainly guarantee that we’ll be a little less grouchy. Eating in the morning gives our bodies that jolt to get us going while balancing our blood sugar to avoid a drained and irritable mood. There’s a period of 8 to 12 hours between dinner and our morning spread. When we eat breakfast, we’re breaking a fast from the night before. Eating a healthy breakfast is a great opportunity to eat nutritious foods, which provide our body with essential vitamins and minerals, vitamins and minerals that are needed for development and maintenance, bone strength, and a healthy immune system. When we regularly consume a healthy breakfast we’re more likely to meet our daily nutrient requirements, eat less fat and have a lower cholesterol level, which helps with the risk of heart disease and other potential health risks.

Breakfast can be good for our waistline also; research shows that when we eat breakfast we’re less likely to be overweight and more likely to be within our model weight range. If we cut breakfast, we’re likely to reach for high sugar and fatty snacks mid-morning. Although people who skip breakfast may eat slightly fewer calories during the day, they tend to have a higher body mass index, or BMI. BMI, is the ratio of a person’s weight compared to height, as an easy measure of whether someone is in the range of his or her healthy weight or not. A BMI of 25 or higher, for example, indicates that someone is overweight and needs to take action to come back to their ideal weight. If we begin our day with a healthy, satisfying meal, we’re less apt to snack on less nutrient dense foods through out the day. By eating a well-balanced and nutritious breakfast we’re more likely to be successful in losing body fat and maintaining a healthy weight.

With our frenzied timetables, it’s easy to stop by the nearest coffee chain and grab a latte and a bagel or a muffin that’s loaded with fat and calories, or just skip breakfast period. However, that a cup of coffee and a muffin (or bagel) isn’t considered a wholesome breakfast. We may believe that a muffin and a cup of coffee should “cut it”, but experts warn about being more wary about what we choose to start our day. When some of us think about breakfast, our thoughts drift to waffles or pancakes with sausage and bacon or a big bowl of sugar filled cereal, or even an omelet swollen with cheese. And as tasty as those foods sound, we know that they don’t add up to a healthy or nutritious breakfast. Pastries such as toaster tarts and commercial baked goods like and donuts typically have a high sugar and fat content, providing little more than a source of calories. They’re characteristically made from refined grains that are stripped of their bran and germ, which are grain components rich in vitamins minerals and dietary fiber. Breakfasts containing mainly carbohydrates, such as waffles with syrup or toaster pastries and a glass of juice, provides a burst of short-lived energy, while a piece of toast with peanut butter and a glass of milk will fend off hunger for longer. Breakfast meats like bacon and sausage are high in saturated fat and should be eaten frugally. Lean turkey or chicken is a better meat option and eggs, nuts, hummus and beans are other great protein options. Eggs are high in cholesterol, nevertheless as long as they are consumed within the guidelines of the Food Pyramid, they can be a very nutritious way to jump-start our day. A healthy breakfast is an arrangement of lean protein, complex carbs from whole grains, and a healthy fat. Complex carbs include oats or oatmeal and whole grain breads or cereals. Oatmeal is a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, iron, and magnesium it is also a good source of protein and fiber. Healthy fats include nuts and nut butters, flax seeds, and avocados. Breakfast gives us a chance to start each day with a healthy and nutritious meal.

Breakfast is like implementing exercise, if we make room for it in the morning, we’ll look and feel great. Eating breakfast helps us feel more focused for the day’s challenges, whether we are at work, school or simply getting on with our day-to-day practices. Eating food in the morning not only fuels us, it gives our brains essential energy to function and focus better on tasks. A well-balanced breakfast can help keep us alert and productive throughout the morning. Breakfast improves concentration, problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, creativity and attention span. Eating breakfast helps us be more physically active, and miss fewer days of school or work due to ailment.

Coconut oil is the separated oil from the coconut; the fruit of the coconut tree that’s well known for growing in tropical areas. The oil comes from the innards of mature coconuts reaped from the coconut palm tree. Squeezing the fats out of the white part of coconut flesh makes coconut oil. Coconut oil’s fats are valued for they’re easy to digest, swiftly to absorb features. In addition to being consumed as part of our diet, coconut oil can also be applied for health benefits in several different ways.

Firstly, Some coconut oils are refined through processes that use chemicals that can severely harm the final result. Some are even hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated (to combine or treat with or expose to hydrogen; especially: to add hydrogen to the molecule of (an unsaturated organic compound). Typically coconut oil is refined, bleached and deodorized using high heat. The bleach strains the oil to purge any impurities, and sodium hydroxide is used as a preservative and to eliminate excess fatty acids. Refined coconut oil is normally cheaper and unlikely to have “that coconut” flavor and smell. Being refined allows for some culinary benefits; it can be cooked at slightly higher temperatures, and we can use vast amounts of it without overwhelming our food with the flavor. Refined coconut oil however, also lacks the health benefits virgin, or unrefined coconut oil offers. Virgin/extra virgin coconut oil uses younger, fresher coconuts and is the unrefined version with a lighter taste. Virgin coconut oil is considered the healthier option of the two. The coconut oil available in stores labeled “virgin,” means pressing the liquid from coconut meat and then separating out the oils is how it was prepared. It tastes and smells intensely of coconut, unlike its refined, bleached, and deodorized counter part, made from the dried coconut meat used in some processed foods, cosmetics and hygiene products. Virgin coconut oil also contains antioxidant compounds that may help curb inflammation, a harmful process thought to worsen heart disease. Either way, coconut oil, in its refined or unrefined state, is a healthier alternative to any processed oil like margarine. Unrefined coconut oil is healthier than butter, and in certain senses, olive oil or other raw vegetable oils.

Our bodies typically makes use of medium-chain fatty acids, like the ones in coconut oil, by sending them to our liver for energy production. Since coconut oil is extremely high in medium-chain fat content, it’s a great source of energy. The energy coconut oil provides is instantaneous due to the rapid metabolizing of fats, which is usually only provided by carbohydrates. Coconut oil doesn’t cause a blood sugar spike or deplete our body of insulin. We get all the energy from a surge of carbohydrates; nonetheless we don’t have to deal with the dangerous after-effects that come alongside excessive carbohydrate or sugar consumption.
When looking to boost our immunity naturally, we can simply use a teaspoon of coconut oil a day. Coconut contains two special ingredients that make it excellent for immunity. These are anti-viral properties, commonly referred to as Lauric and Caprylic acid. The most common medium-chain fat in coconut oil is Lauric acid, making up almost 75% of the oil’s fat content. Medium chain fatty acids are associated with a higher rate of weight loss. The particular types of saturated fats in coconut oil are confirmed to improve our cardio vascular system. Regular intake of coconut oil can progress heart health, help us lose weight, boost our metabolism, give us short and long-lasting energy. Most of these benefits are due to Lauric acid, the fat that composes the most significant percentage of coconut oil’s profile. Our body converts Lauric acid into a new substance, known as Monolaurin. This particular compound is an antiviral, anti-bacterial and immune-boosting substance. Lauric acid is extremely effective at battling viruses and bacteria, and coconut oil has more of it, gram for gram, than any other substance.

A new tributary of study has proved that the brain has a backup source of energy that’s completely distinctive than the backup energy the rest of the body uses. When the body starts running low on blood sugar, the brain is directed to another source for its backup reserves. Its alternative energy is stored in what is known as a ketone body, or a ketone for short. Ketones are produced from fat that’s stored in the liver, and are built with the single purpose, to supply energy to the brain in times of need. When blood sugar levels go down, the body turns up its production of ketones so the brain has a constant supply of energy. If someone has a neurodegenerative disease, the brain doesn’t absorb or process glucose properly, despite it being the primary source of energy for the brain. The body produces ketones, which are used up quickly, leaving the brain with nothing. Ketones are only produced when the body is running low on blood sugar. They’re being used since the brain can’t process the sugar it’s getting, even though we’re more than likely eating properly and giving the liver no signal to produce extra ketones. Studies have shown that a high ketone diet can improve symptoms of these diseases. Fortunately, coconut oil is known to produce ketones.

We can also use coconut oil on our skin, which is our principal organ. We absorb everything we put on our skin straight into the bloodstream, within minutes of contact. Coconut oil can heal skin conditions like Eczema, Dandruff and Psoriasis. Its effects as a moisturizer are what make it so commonly used in shampoos that prevent Dandruff. Infectious fungi can cause Eczema and Psoriasis, and coconut oil is an effective anti-fungal. When used against these skin ailments, it will fend them off, and can prevent them from developing at all. Coconut oil protects our skin from free radicals, and is actually considered by some to be an antioxidant for this reason. Free radicals cause severe oxidation in the cells of the body, and are responsible for what gives skin the look of aging. Coconut oil decelerates the growth of wrinkles. This keeps our skin looking younger. Coconut oil is a very good moisturizer, and effectively absorbs into our skin. Upon absorption, it descends into connective tissues and helps fortify them by improving their elasticity. It also cleans the epidermis of dead cells; this exfoliation and strengthening thin the lines of wrinkles.

We know coconut oil isn’t a wonder antidote for any illness, though it does have the research to validate its healing properties. Being an experienced innovator in food and service for over 40 years, at Gourmet Services we just want you all to remember that eating a well balanced plant based diet, free of processed food, unhealthy fats, refined sugar/grains, and animal products is critical to obtaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, mind, body and immune system.

“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.”
George Gordon Byron

Laughter is described as a movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the lips, with an uncharacteristic expression of the eyes, indicating jollity, satisfaction, or ridicule, and is usually joined by a loud and sporadic expulsion of air from the lungs. Most of us know laughter as a positive sensation, and a useful method to overcome our daily stress. However, laughter can also be a powerful antidote to pain and conflict. Nothing works faster or more reliably to bring our minds and bodies into cohesion than laughter. Laughter is important for both our emotional and mental health and it can play a helpful and healing role in school, work, family, and our everyday life. Laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that stimulate healthy physical and emotional changes in all of us. Laughing is one of the healthiest things that we can do when we’re irritated with stress and negative emotions.

When we smile and laugh, a number of biological changes occur, mostly without us knowingly being aware. Laughter strengthens our immune system, boosts our mood, diminishes pain, and protects us from the damaging effects of stress. Laughter fights stress by increasing blood flow throughout our bodies, boosting our immune systems, and even assists in enabling better breathing. Laughter also alters our dopamine and serotonin activity. Endorphins secreted by laughter can help when we’re uncomfortable or in a depressed mood. Research states that, when we smile, our brains release the neurotransmitter known as dopamine, which has the power to produce feelings of happiness from endorphins, which are the body’s natural feel good chemicals and painkillers. While the release of endorphins is increased, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced. Cortisol is more active when we feel stressed or anxious and contributes to the feelings experienced; by lowering it we can reduce our negative mindsets. Smiling is a natural form of laughter, so once laughter unfolds, our brains respond by releasing nitric oxide, which triggers an anti-inflammatory effect that boosts our immune system. Pretending to smile or laugh works as well as the genuine thing, our brain doesn’t discern between actual or false, it reads our arrangement of facial muscles in the same way. This is the facial feedback hypothesis. The more we encourage our brain to release this chemical the more often we’ll feel happy and relaxed.

Smiling and laughing can have a positive effect on our well-being. As we make the transition from child to adult, we seem to lose practice and neglect how to indulge. As children, we laughed hundreds of times a day, however as adults life tends to be more serious and laughter becomes more erratic. Laughter is a way to cope with difficult moments in our lives and the sometimes-arduous task of dealing with society. It’s a social apparatus that allows us to interconnect through our shared experiences. We’re social beings who use humor for better relationships. When we laugh with one another, a positive connection is created. This union acts as a strong shield against tension, quarrels, and frustration. Humor gets us out of our heads and away from our predicaments. It helps us to forget resentments, judgments, disparagements, and misgivings. At Gourmet Services Inc. we hope that laughter becomes contagious, and we know that it can, if we all just make an effort to introduce and allow it into our lives. Laughter can bring people together in amazing ways. Try it.